Comet McNaught

The comet McNaught was barely visible to the unaided eye at sunrise yesterday as I pointed my camera northeast towards Mount Diablo from the Marin Headlands. I don’t know how many days are left for a glimpse of the comet’s trail as it’s starting to get washed out from the sun’s brightness. To see Comet McNaught, a clear view of the horizon is essential. In the morning, go outside and face east. The comet emerges just ahead of the rising sun. In the evening, face the other way: west. The comet pops out of the western twilight as soon as the sun sets. Binoculars reveal a pretty, gaseous tail.

I shot the comet at sunrise on Jan. 10 with pretty good light, no tricks or long exposures – but finding the tail through the morning jet streams was challenging.